


I know you!

by keinekatze132



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Reunion, this was supposed to be funny but somehow it got sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-31
Updated: 2020-03-31
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:52:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23412640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/keinekatze132/pseuds/keinekatze132
Summary: In which Bill meets the 13th Doctor.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 59





	I know you!

Bill looked out of her window to see the strange woman sitting on the bench across the road again. She had noticed her for the first time a few months ago, sitting next to the busy street, reading a book like she was in a park. Bill had especially noticed her pretty face and her rainbow shirt and while the woman looked like she was a little too old for her, there was something strangely familiar about the woman that made bill want to talk to her. 

Every few weeks she reappeared at the same spot, wearing the same clothes. She might have even been reading the same book, but Bill never came close enough to read the title. Bill supposed she must be from around the neighborhood, which might explain why she looked so familiar. She always seemed a little sad. Maybe sitting next to the street was her way of avoiding her problems. Bill stepped back from the window to look around in her own little room, that she was desperate to move out of. At least she had the doctor to escape with sometimes.

Thinking of the doctor, he wore a similar expression to the woman’s sometimes. Bill always tried to cheer him up when he did. Usually it helped to ask him questions about alien rocks or something. She took another look at the strange woman. Maybe she should try and talk to her. If traveling with the doctor had taught her anything, it was to never let anyone suffer alone.

“Alright why not” she muttered as she got up and grabbed her jacket.

Bill still felt like she should know the woman when she walked up to the bench. Maybe she had been her babysitter when she was younger or something.

“Do you mind if I sit down?” she asked.

The woman flinched and almost dropped her book when she looked up. She looked like she recognized her before she caught herself. 

“Sure!” she said. “I mean. Why not. I don’t own this bench”. 

Bill pulled up an eyebrow and sat down next to her. She pulled one leg up and starred at the woman who started to look a little uncomfortable. Bill noticed that she was acting weird.

“I’m sorry. I just feel like we’ve met before” she said. Internally she cringed a little. This didn’t make it less weird.

To her surprise the woman nodded. “I think we did” she said mysteriously. Then she looked like she regretted saying that.

Bill tried to place her somewhere, but her mind just went back to the Doctor every time. But maybe that was it. Now that Bill took a closer look the letters on the cover of the woman’s book didn’t look like any language she knew. Also the fact that she was wearing the same clothes every time was highly suspicious.

“Are you from out of space?” she asked before she could think better of it. Well, if the lady was human she probably thought Bill was a freak already.

The woman sighed and closed her book. “I’m from a planet like everyone else. Nobody is from ‘out of space’. You should know that by now” she said in a tone like she was teaching a child.

Bill snorted. “You sound like the Doctor. He told me that exact same thing!”

The woman smiled a little. “Sounds like a smart man” she said.

“Yeah he likes to think that as well” Bill said, trying to be funny. 

The woman’s lips twitched. Then she looked around in what seemed to be bad acting.

“I can’t believe it’s already this late! I have a uhhh… bus to catch” she said and jumped up. “It was nice meeting you, Bill!” she said.

“Yeah you too. Hey! How do you know my name?” Bill asked, but the woman had already disappeared behind the next corner.

Bill leaned back and sighed. She couldn’t tell if the woman or she had been weirder. She should probably ask the doctor about her. Maybe he knew her. Bill was about to leave, when she noticed something lying on the bench next to her. It was the book the woman had been reading! If she was quick she could probably still catch her.

Bill grabbed the book and followed the woman. She ran into the alley the woman had taken and almost crashed into a blue box. It was the TARDIS! The doctors timing couldn’t be any better. He could probably help her find the woman. She opened the door and the TARDIS easily let her in. Bill took it as a good sign.

The inside of the TARDIS had changed a lot since the Doctor had dropped her off in the morning. Bill wasn’t sure if he had started a sudden obsession with crystals or if there was some sort of invasion of living stone. She carefully stepped closer to the main console.

“Doctor are you there?” she called. Maybe she had missed him.

“You shouldn’t be here” a female voice said. 

Bill twirled around and saw the woman from earlier standing in a doorway. Bill switched into a defensive stance.

“What did you do to the TARDIS? Where is the Doctor?” she asked with panic in her voice.

The woman looked a little sad. “It’s been some time since you’ve been inside the TARDIS. At least for the TARDIS and I. She redecorated a little” she said.

“So the Doctor is alright?” Bill asked, not willing to trust the woman yet.

“As good as always” she said with a slight smile.

Bill frowned. “Can I talk to him?”

“You are” the woman said.

Bill looked her in the eye and finally understood. The Doctor had told her that he could change a lot. Also that gender was flexible for his people. She finally understood why she had felt like she knew her.

“You are him!” Bill said and the Doctor nodded with a proud smile. A sudden wave of emotion overcame her and she walked up to the Doctor and pulled her in a hug. The Doctor carefully patted her back.

“Still not a hugger?” Bill asked and stepped back.

The Doctor shook her head. “I guess not” she said.

Bill remembered the book in her hand. “I wanted to return this” she said. With a sudden realization she added “You left this on purpose, right?”

The Doctor smiled. “I’ve no idea what you’re talking about” she said and dropped the book into a pocket of her coat.

Bill crossed her arms. “What are you doing here anyway?” she asked.

The Doctor’s smile dropped. “I was looking out for you” she said. Bill felt like she could finally place her expression. She looked lonely.

“Alright” Bill said, deciding to look out for this doctor as well. “Why don’t you look out for me over some tea?” 

The Doctor nervously shifted her weight from one leg to the other. “I shouldn’t. Time is wired when you mess with it” she said.

Bill could tell how much she wanted to come. “I promise I won’t tell your grumpy old self! Also I really want to know more about this crystals” she tried to convince her.

The Doctors face lit up. “It really is a good look for the TARDIS, right?” she asked. “I guess five minutes won’t hurt” she admitted.

Back at her place Bill quickly made some tea. The Doctor had flown the TARDIS right into her kitchen and it was a little hard to move in the cramped space. Still Bill didn’t complain. She passed a cup to the doctor and sat down across from her.

“How much time has passed for you” Bill asked.

The Doctor shook her head. “It feels like an eternity. It’s strange to be back”.

Bill felt like she was avoiding the question. But time was difficult. Maybe the Doctor didn’t even know herself. She tried to change the topic. 

“I like your new look!” she said. “This is wired. You are like my grandpa or something but now you are hot”

The Doctor laughed. “Grandma would be more fitting now, or at least that’s what people tell me” she said.

Bill snorted. “Please don’t go there” she said, shaking her head.

The Doctor shrugged. “I guess there have been many changes” she admitted. “I miss traveling with you and Nardole sometimes” she admitted quietly.

Bill took a sip of tea to save some time before her response. The Doctor had confirmed what she had expected. She was no longer traveling with this older version of the Doctor. It had been a childish thing to hope for, she scolded herself. After all, this Doctor might be many lifetimes older than her Doctor. Still, she was a little concerned for her.

“Do you have someone new to travel with?” she asked. The Doctor had looked so lonely earlier.

Her face lit up. “Yeah my Fam!” she said.

Bill raised an eyebrow at her.

The Doctor shrugged. “That’s what I call them. They are great people!” she said with a smile.

That was a lot more like the Doctor Bill knew. “So you still take strangers to freaky space adventures” she said.

The Doctor nodded happily. “It’s not like I was actively trying to. I kind of couldn’t get them to leave before I got used to them”. She quickly explained how she had met her new companions.

“So where are they now?” Bill asked.

The doctor shrugged. “Taking a break back home I guess” she said. “It’s not like they moved in with me”.

“And you are taking a break as well?” 

The Doctor smiled a little. “You know what? I might be” she admitted.

Bill had never thought about what the Doctor did with their free time. How often did they visit people from their past? She couldn’t even imagine what it must be like, watching everyone she cared about slowly age and die. At least Bill hoped that she would be able to grow old. She didn’t dare to ask the Doctor and she doubted that she would tell her.

“Just come over for tea next time you are on a break!” Bill offered. “Also maybe you could help me with the assignments your current self gave me”.

The Doctor looked at her with a genuine smile. “You are smart enough to do those on your own” she said, and before Bill could protest she added: “I really have to leave now Bill. But I think I’ll meet you again”. She sounded like she meant it.

Bill sat in her kitchen for a long time after the Doctor left, thinking about the implications of their conversation. At what point did an ancient alien in a police box become her closest friend? She couldn’t help herself but care deeply about the Doctor. 

Finally her phone tore her out of her thoughts. It was her current doctor calling, with a ringtone she couldn’t remember downloading. She couldn’t stop herself from smiling when she saw the bad selfie he used as his profile picture. 

“Hey this is Bill” she answered the phone.

“You wouldn’t believe what I found in a basement in Scotland” the Doctor said without a word of greeting.

Bill looked out of her window to see the TARDIS materializing in the usual spot. “What did you find?” she asked, grabbing her jacket.

**Author's Note:**

> Social distance everyone! Don’t sit down next to pretty strangers! Also thank you for reading ^^ English is not my first language so please feel free to tell me about any mistakes you noticed while reading.


End file.
